One of the most breathtaking images to emerge from
Iceland in the last quarter century is that of an Icelandic
Coast Guard vessel defiantly shadowing a British warship,
during the Cod War of 1976. At the time, the two
countries were involved in a territorial dispute over
fishing rights, and the photograph became a symbol of
resistance against British encroachment on the island's main
industry. It is all the more extraordinary when one takes
into consideration that Iceland has no standing army.
Few societies exhibit such national pride. In fact,
Icelanders have a reputation of being passionately defensive
when people criticize their country, a trait that a few
local philosophers and psychologists humorously call a
national inferiority complex. The truth is that Icelanders
have many reasons to be proud. They have a strong cultural
heritage, and people here have achieved a remarkable quality
of life. Crime is practically nonexistent, and Icelanders
currently have the longest life expectancy on the
planet. Visitors to the country are often astonished
by its utopian aura.
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